By Brian K. Sullivan Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Federal government offices remain closed for a second full day as Washington, still reeling from a weekend blizzard, prepared for a storm packing as much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) of new snow. The storms, which may also dump 8 to 13 inches of snow on New York and Long Island, will be accompanied by cold and winds gusting from 35 to 55 mph (56 to 88 kph) in the Northeast, forecasters said. The National Weather Service urged people not to travel except for emergencies. The snow “has a very distinct potential of reaching crippling proportions from Washington and Philadelphia to New York City and possibly Boston,” said Jim Rouiller , a senior energy meteorologist at private-forecaster Planalytics Inc., in Wayne, Pennsylvania. “If this upcoming storm indeed verifies, it will lift annual snowfall to historic levels and set many all-time snowfall records across this portion of the country,” he said. Crude oil rose for the first time in four days on the forecast, rebounding from a seven-week low. Heating oil also was up in trading in Europe, boosted by the forecasts for cold weather and more snow in the U.S. A winter storm warning was posted for Washington starting at noon today, where 10 to 20 more inches may fall, the agency said. Federal government offices, which closed early Friday, remain shut, the Office of Personnel Management said in an e- mailed statement. Warnings Posted A snow emergency issued in the District of Columbia on Feb. 5 when as much as 40 inches of snow began falling over the mid- Atlantic region had been lifted yesterday, the Washington Post said. A winter storm warning also was posted for New York City starting at midnight. Snow in metropolitan New York was expected to be heavy at times before tapering off tomorrow evening, the weather service in Upton, New York, said. A system moving in from the west is forecast to collide with a coastal system moving north. Tom Kines , a senior expert meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc., said 6 to 12 inches of snow may fall along a corridor from Washington to Boston and some areas may receive as much as 18 inches. Winter storm watches, warnings and advisories stretch across much of the eastern half of the U.S. from Minnesota to Delaware and south to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Weather Service . Temperatures from Southern California to Maine are expected to be below normal from Feb. 13 to Feb. 17, according to the latest forecast by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center . Midwest Snow The region from Chicago to Detroit, where snow began yesterday, were expected to receive as much as 12 inches, Kines said. More than 230 flights at Chicago’s airports including those by Southwest Airlines Co. have already been cancelled, the Sun-Times reported today. Forecasters expect up to 20 inches of new snowfall in the Baltimore area. Public schools in central Maryland remained closed today and may keep students from class for the rest of the week if heavy snows continue, the Baltimore Sun reported. Ski areas in Pennsylvania and Virginia will get a boost from the storm while resorts in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are likely to miss out, Kines said. To contact the reporter on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at bsullivan10@bloomberg.net .
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Federal Offices Closed Another Day as Washington Readies for Second Storm
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